Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

Despite our efforts to reduce carbon pollution, we need to ensure Vancouver is prepared for the impacts of a changing global climate.

What is climate change adaptation?

Adapting to climate change means understanding what climate we are likely to experience in the future, and creating proactive plans for how to take advantage of opportunities and avoid and prepare for impacts. This is different than mitigation, which refers to our efforts to limit climate change by reducing greenhouse gases.

What we're doing to prepare for climate change

In 2012, Council adopted the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy to ensure a vibrant, liveable and resilient city in the face of climate change. The strategy is on a five year cycle and will be updated in 2017.

The strategy recommends nine primary actions and over 50 supporting actions to prepare our services, streets, sewers, buildings, parks, green spaces, and broader community for the impacts of climate change.

Future changes to our climate and environment

Climate science from Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium at the University of Victoria was used to understand the anticipated impacts of climate change in our city. Learn about these local changes in climate and what you can do to prepare.